Impetuous Mind - 3

 

In the previous article, we learned about the challenge that Duryodhana was facing. Interestingly, Arjuna was also facing a similar challenge. We previously learned that even four-year-old children faced the same challenge. They wanted to resist the temptation of eating a marshmallow, but they were unable to control their impulses and ended up eating it. This problem of self-control is one that many of us face throughout our lives. We believe that if we can control our mind, we can achieve great things. However, the question remains of how to actually implement this. This is why it is important to examine the guidance that Sri Krishna gave to Arjuna in order to better understand how we can achieve greater self-control.

We shall examine verses 33 and 34 from the third chapter of the Gita.

सदृशं चेष्टते स्वस्या: प्रकृतेर्ज्ञानवानपि |

प्रकृतिं यान्ति भूतानि निग्रह: किं करिष्यति || ३-३३||

According to Shri Krishna, every living being acts in accordance with its inherent nature. In modern psychology, these natural tendencies are referred to as the "inner self" or "Antarman," while ancient scripts refers to them as "Samskara." These Samskaras can be classified into two categories: "Rage Samskaras (रागसंस्कार )," which pertain to greed, and "Hate Samskaras (द्वेषसंस्कार)." These Samskaras are deeply ingrained in our psyche, often without us being consciously aware of them. It is important to understand where these Samskaras originate from and how they impact our behavior.

इन्द्रियस्येन्द्रियस्यार्थे रागद्वेषौ व्यवस्थितौ |

तयोर्न वशमागच्छेत्तौ ह्यस्य परिपन्थिनौ || ३-३४||

According to Shri Krishna, every living being behaves according to their nature, which includes naturally occurring emotions or 'Antarman', also known as 'Samskara' in ancient scripts. These inner feelings can be divided into two groups - 'Rage samskaras' or samskaras of greed, and 'Hate samskaras.' These samskaras are deeply rooted in our hearts, and we are usually not aware of them. When our senses or mind come in contact with a subject, they receive the sensation and convey it to the brain. The brain then quickly decides whether the sensation is pleasant or unpleasant, based on prior memories or samskaras. This reaction is immediately reflected in our outer mind, which is pervaded by our attitude. For example, if our mind becomes angry, this anger is expressed through our actions or body language, and our attraction or hatred towards that thing deepens and goes back inside. This process becomes more intense over time, and we react with greater intensity whenever our senses touch anything. This process can remove our sense of what is right or wrong, merit or love, and we may take action impulsively. This same process happened with the children who couldn't resist the marshmallow, with the mischief that was aware of its disadvantage in fighting, and with Arjuna when he felt the urge to lay down his bow and turn his back on war, despite knowing his duty as a Kshatriya. In verse 34 of the third chapter of the Gita, Shri Krishna is urging Arjuna not to surrender to this situation.

In the following article, we will explore ways to break the chain of Samskara leading to sense sensation, attitude, and back to Samskara.

Impetuous Mind - 2

 In the preceding section, we observed the issue with Duryodhana. He acknowledges what is appropriate for him, but it is not in his nature to act accordingly. Similarly, he recognizes what is unsuitable for him, yet his nature compels him to do so. He confides in Shri Krishna that some unknown force is responsible for this behavior, and he has no desire to change his innate tendencies. On the other hand, Arjuna also faces the same dilemma. Thus, he seeks Shri Krishna's guidance on how to overcome this challenge.

Before we discover Krishna's response, let us examine if this problem is significant in our lives as well. In the 1960s, a prominent psychologist named Walter Mitchell conducted an experiment on four-year-old children. He sat each child in a room and offered them a marshmallow, an American candy. However, if the child could resist the temptation to consume the marshmallow until Walter returned to the room in about ten minutes, they would receive an additional marshmallow as a reward. In essence, if they could overcome the impulse to immediately eat the marshmallow in front of them, they would be rewarded with double the number of marshmallows in the future. Although it was their favorite treat to eat, refraining from eating it immediately could benefit their future.

Fourteen years later, Walter surveyed these children, and the results were striking. The children who resisted the urge to devour the marshmallow immediately and received an extra one as a reward in their childhood had made significant progress in their careers, sports, family life, and overall well-being. These children had developed confidence and exhibited impressive accomplishments. Conversely, the children who were unable to resist their desire to eat the marshmallow immediately and did not receive an additional one when Walter returned were left behind in life. Numerous videos of this test can be found on YouTube.

You can watch one of these videos at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7t-HxuI17Y. It is a particularly amusing video, so I encourage you to take a look.

This Emotional intelligence is a critical factor in determining our overall progress. In fact, our future success and well-being often hinge more on our emotional quotient (EQ) than our intelligence quotient (IQ). As such, the answer that Shri Krishna provided to Arjuna is especially significant for our own personal growth. In the following article, we will explore this answer and examine its practical applications in our daily lives. Santosh Karkhanis Thane #ImpetuousMind #SantoshKarkhanisThane

Impetuous Mind - 1

 Is there a connection between spirituality and our daily lives? This question often arises as to whether understanding spirituality can be beneficial in our day-to-day existence.

An important consideration is that Krishna was a friend to both the Kauravas and Pandavas. He imparted the teachings of the Gita to Arjuna, but had he shared them with Duryodhana, it is possible that the war in the Mahabharata could have been avoided.

Krishna did, in fact, attempt to teach Duryodhana, but Duryodhana rejected his teachings outright.

जानामि धर्मम्, नच मे प्रवृत्ति | जानामि अधर्मम्, नच मे निवृत्ति |

"I understand that you are sharing advice with my best interests in mind, but it is not in my nature to act in that way," expressed Duryodhana. "I acknowledge that I engage in behaviors that are detrimental to my well-being, but I find it challenging to refrain from doing so." In contemporary language, he conveyed to Krishna that he was aware of everything and did not require excessive instruction.

Duryodhana went on to explain the reasons for his behavior.

केनापि देवेन हृदि स्थितेन यथा नियुक्तोऽस्मि तथा करोमि ।

It seems to me that someone has taken residence in my heart and that this entity, even without my conscious desire, influences my actions. I find myself doing things that align with this influence. Unfortunately, I am unable to act according to my own wishes in this matter.

In reality, this issue is not exclusive to Duryodhana; rather, it is a shared human experience. We often resolve to take a certain course of action and make a firm decision to that end. However, when it comes to putting that decision into practice, we frequently opt for the opposite path. As a result, we often experience remorse after the fact. Unfortunately, this tendency is difficult to overcome and persists over time.

We often invest significant sums of money to receive counsel from doctors in order to shed weight. However, when we encounter foods that our healthcare providers have instructed us to abstain from, our resolve weakens. We convince ourselves that indulging in a small amount will not cause any harm, only to later feel remorseful about our lapse in judgement. Similarly, a student may pledge to work diligently at the start of the academic year but may struggle to maintain this level of dedication as the year progresses. In a comparable fashion, we may commit to a routine of daily morning exercise, but upon the sounding of the alarm, we hit snooze and drift back into slumber.

All of us have experienced situations where we have made a decision to take action but have struggled to execute it effectively. This very problem is addressed in the Kathopanishad through the duality of 'shreyas' and 'preyas.' The text urges us to value and prioritize what is beneficial for our future, or 'shreyas,' over what we may be inclined to do in the present moment, or 'preyas.'

Upon commencing his teachings to Arjuna, Krishna was confronted with a similar issue. However, there is a noteworthy distinction between Duryodhana and Arjuna. Duryodhana perceives this issue not as a problem, but rather a fact of his character. He does not aspire to alter this fact and is not inclined to contemplate doing so. Conversely, Arjuna brings this predicament to Krishna's attention and seeks counsel on how to address it. The approach adopted by Arjuna, which involves identifying and pursuing a solution to the problem, provides us with valuable insight.

The upcoming article will delve into the solution that was offered by Shri Krishna.

Santosh Karkhanis Thane